Thursday, June 4, 2009

E3 2009: Chris's Picks


I have to admit, I rode the 2009 E3 hype train pretty damned hard. All the promises from developers of massive game announcements - along with the general consensus from gaming media that this year's E3 was to be a return to the awesome blow-outs of years passed - had me pumped as hell for the event.

Now that it's all said and done, did E3 2009 deliver on the promises? Was it indeed a return to form?

Well, yes and no. Sure, there where big stages, plenty of ridiculously loud house music, lasers, fog, giant presentation screens and booth babes - but as far as the actual games go - it was less than what I had hoped. Though there was a good deal of exciting games shown at this year's E3, I can't help to feel slightly underwhelmed at the nearly total lack of surprises and frustrated at the unnecessary focus this year on "motion controls" and other silly peripherals. But hey, you're reading the Blast Heroes blog, you don't want to hear about let-downs, you want to know what's hot! So in the name of true-commando-positivity, let's talk about what titles are on my "must have" radar. This is in no way a complete list, just the some of the games that either surprised me, or look totally rad.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
This was one of the few shockers at E3 for me this year. In what is quickly becoming typical Japanese studio form, Konami has decided to out-source one of their few respectable IPs to a basically un-known western studio: Mercury Steam. Now normally, this would have me ready to dragon punch your mom in the face in a fit of blind rage, but there is a killer twist to this story that has me more than a little excited about this game. Hideo Kojima, one of the most talented visionaries in gaming, has taken the role of producer on the project - I repeat: Hideo-mother-f-ing-Kojima is working on the new Castlevania game!!! I hope-beyond-hope that Kojima is given as much control as possible on the project and that his already busy schedule doesn't keep him from investing the time that a full-blown-current-gen Castlevania deserves. Kojima is a master at creating memorable characters, interesting and immersive gameplay, thick atmosphere and most importantly, amazing boss fights: If he really applies himself, this game could be a masterpiece.

Judging from the E3 trailer for the title, Konami is clearly investing some cash into the project (they hired Patrick Stewart to do voice over work!) and production values seem to be through the roof. Although the trailer doesn't really look much like what I would expect from the franchise: 3d, no platforming, no Belmonts, and no freaking Dracula - I am hopeful that this game will properly bring the legacy of Castlevania to a new generation.

The Last Guardian
About a month ago, I wrote a hype-piece for a "leaked" demo reel of what was reported to be the new game from Team ICO: project Trico. At that time nothing had been confirmed from Sony or Team ICO as to whether or not this footage was the real deal - but all that has changed now that E3 is over - the Last Guardian ( a much better title than Trico I must say) is indeed the final chapter in the ICO trilogy.

At Sony's press conference they dropped a new trailer for the project; though it very much resembles the original tech demo, there are some significant graphical updates, as well as a bit of new gameplay footage thrown in. Obviously, I am really itching to see what adventures this game will take us on. Team ICO have what few game game developers do - style and artistic vision. There is a definite mood and emotional weight in their projects that set them apart from the pack. I am sure this games beautifully designed characters will pull at your heart strings from the very start all the way to what is sure to be a tragic end ( your days are numbered, huge monster dude.).I am almost shocked at how well the brief trailer illustrates the touching relationship between the boy and his giant monster companion. This one will be a must have for sure.

Modern Warfare 2
Alright, I need to start by saying something: don't judge me. I'm a bit ashamed to love a game like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare as much as I do. The whole thing is a bit too patriotic, a bit too redneck, a bit too "Get-r-done." I guess the fact that I enjoy this game so much serves as a shinning testament to the incredible talents at Infinity Ward. The gunplay, set pieces, and storytelling in the original Modern Warfare sets the bar for all first person shooters to come.

The masters of the FPS craft are back in full swing with Modern Warfare 2 and if this trailer is any indication, they look like they are aiming to top the original game in every possible way. I have faith that the good ol' boys at Infinity Ward will deliver a game that is not only incredibly fun to play, but also incredibly politically biased.

Metal Gear: Rising
Rumors that a Metal Gear game would be making its way to the Xbox 360 have been floating around for a quite a while now, so Kojima's E3 announcement that he was working on a Metal Gear for microsofts system wasn't too big of a surprise. The news however, as to what type of game he was working on, did spice things up a bit. Apparently, the next Metal Gear will star the pretty-boy cyber-ninja: Raiden, and will be far more action-focused than previous installments ( I thought 4 was pretty action packed actually). Metal Gear: Rising is subtitled "Lightning Bolt Action" which is out-right goofy enough to actually sound sort of cool. At this point, I am thinking that this game will probably be more of a third person action title similar to the Ninja Gaiden series. Although that genre isn't necessarily my absolute favorite, I am excited to see where this new turn will take one of my favorite game series.

E3 2009 was for sure - much more of an event than the last few years. It's clear that the gaming industry is more of a money maker than ever. I guess that's why my expectations for lots of excellent games is set so high. Even though I would have liked to have really had my mind blown by a few unexpected announcements, there is still quite a bit to be excited about in the near future of games.

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